This episode is sponsored by Audible: get a free audiobook download and a free 30-day trial here. Thank you for supporting our show!
When I was a kid growing up in the 1980s, one of my favorite things to do was watch old Mickey Mouse cartoons-- I loved seeing Mickey interact with Pluto and Goofy, and could probably have watched hours of these cartoons, if you let me. But one character especially stood out for me, and quickly became my favorite-- I loved the scrappy and grumpy Donald Duck. I still do. And while some of my best-loved episodes revolved around Donald’s skirmishes with Chip and Dale, or around the exploits of his nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, I still remember seeing numerous cartoons featuring Donald as a soldier during World War Two. Looking back on my childhood, it seems funny and bizarre to me now that I was exposed to American World War Two propaganda. But it’s true-- and it happened with somewhat regularity for someone like me, who had consistent access to the Disney Channel. Of course, as a child, I didn’t really think much of it- it just seemed like yet another Donald Duck cartoon to me. But now, I look back and find myself really curious. How did the Walt Disney and his team, especially a blustery cartoon duck, get involved so specifically in wartime propaganda?
// Please SUBSCRIBE and REVIEW our show on iTunes.
Twitter / Facebook/ Instagram
Episode Credits
Production and Editing by Kaboonki Creative. Theme music by Alex Davis. Research assistance by Stephanie Pryor. Social media assistance by Emily Crockett.
Music Credits: "Back to the Grindstone" by Dee Yan-Kee is licensed under BY-NC-SA 4.0; "Jessie Cave Duo (ID 479)" by Lobo Loco is licensed under BY-NC-NC 4.0; "Assembly line work" by Dee Yan-Kee is licensed under BY-NC-SA 4.0; "King of the air march" by Charles Daab is licensed under BY-NC 3.0 US; "Silent Park Inside Your Soul" by Alex Mason & The Minor Emotion is licensed under BY-NC 4.0; "Bindweed (Instrumental Version)" by Axletree is licensed under BY 4.0___________________________________________________________________
Want more art-historical goodness? Check out the links below:
Time Magazine: How WWII Changed Walt Disney
Open Culture: Donald Duck’s Bad Nazi Dream and Four Other Disney Propaganda Cartoons from World War II
Der Spiegel: Donald Versus Hitler: Walt Disney and the Art of WWII Propaganda
The Telegraph: How Donald Duck helped win Second World War – and beat Mickey to the job
Complex: The Most Racist Moments in Disney Cartoons
ArtCurious is sponsored by Anchorlight, an interdisciplinary creative space, founded with the intent of fostering artists, designers, and craftspeople at varying stages of their development. Home to artist studios, residency opportunities, and exhibition space Anchorlight encourages mentorship and the cross-pollination of skills among creatives in the Triangle.
Live on Fireside: Jeffrey H. Jackson's "Paper Bullets"
Episode #91: Art Fact and Fiction: Are There Hidden Messages in Leonardo's The Last Supper (S10E08)
Episode #90: Art Fact and Fiction: Did Van Gogh Only Sell One Painting? (S10E07)
Live on Fireside: Laura Morelli's "The Stolen Lady"
Episode #89: Art Fact and Fiction: The Problem of Michelangelo's Women (S10E06)
BONUS: "Curious Talk" with Jennifer and Josh Dasal
Episode #88: Art Fact and Fiction: Were the Middle Ages an Artistic Wasteland? (S10E05)
Live on Fireside: Jennifer Higgie's "The Mirror and the Palette: Rebellion, Revolution, and Resilience: Five Hundred Years of Women's Self Portraits"
Episode #87: Art Fact and Fiction: Is Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring a Maid in his Household? (S10E04)
Live on Fireside: Thomas Negovan's Le Pater: Alphonse Mucha's Symbolist Masterpiece and the Lineage of Mysticism
Episode #86: Art Fact and Fiction: Are Georgia O'Keeffe's Paintings References to the Female Body? (S10E03)
Episode #85: Art Fact and Fiction: Did Michelangelo Paint the Sistine Ceiling Alone, on his Back? (S10E02)
Live on Fireside: Molly Peacock's "Flower Diary"
Episode #84: Art Fact and Fiction: Is "Mona Lisa" Really Leonardo in Drag? (S10E01)
The Latest Updates from ArtCurious!
CURIOUS CALLBACK: Episode #17: The Casino of the Spirits
BONUS: ArtCurious + Queen's Fine Art
CURIOUS CALLBACK: The Wild and Wonderful World of Weegee
BONUS: ArtCurious + My Modern Met's Top Artist Podcast: Artist Making an Impact
CURIOUS CALLBACK: A Little Curious #5: Disastrous Inspiration behind Munch's The Scream?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Spider-Man Crawlspace Podcast
The Week in Art
Art Sense
The Art of War
Pollyanna
For Flux Sake
A brush with...